Description

At long last, Michelin's high performance Pro4 road tire is now available in a tubular version.

This race-ready tire beautifully balances speed with durability, using a supple 290 TPI casing and a completely redesigned tread. Knowing not to mess with the best attributes of the Pro3, Michelin shifted their redesign focus from materials to shaping. They pulled from their MotoGP division to create a new tread profile which delivers enhanced grip over the Pro3, despite this tire's similar makeup. At the end of the day, the redesign also resulted in a slight increase in wear resistance, allowing riders to get a few extra miles out of their rubber.

I've ridden a couple sets of this tire. It probably isn't as quick a tire as a Vitoria Corsa, and maybe not as tough as a continental sprinter. But it holds an excellent middle ground. Great all around ride quality with its supple casing and latex tube and the rubber doesn't vacuum up every sharp bit of sand on the road. I rode Golden Gran Fondo last year on this tire with several gravel sectors on the course. The tire came through totally unscathed. In contrast, I've had Corsa's (prior to G) pick up shards of granite sand after rains here and flat after their first outing. It is a very different tire from the michelin pro 4 service course clincher which I've also ridden. The rubber compound may be similar, but the shape, and the casing are extremely different.

While I wish tubulars came stock with longer valves, that's my only complaint with this tire. I've ridden Michelin clinchers for years, but these were the first tires I put on where I was conscious of how sweet the ride was during a ride.